Hissene Habre, ex-Chad president sentenced to life for war crimes

Former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre to life in prison for crimes against humanity. The court in Senegal found Habre guilty of crimes against humanity, rape, forced slavery and kidnapping as well as ordering the killings of 40,000 people during his rule between 1982 and 1990. Habre had denied the accusations and refused to recognize the legitimacy of the court.
The former President showed little emotion as he heard the verdict, with his face covered partly by a turban and sunglasses. The verdict on Monday caps a 16-year battle by victims and rights campaigners to bring the former leader to justice in Senegal, where he fled after being toppled in a 1990 coup in the central African nation.

                                                                                 (C)AP

Mr Habre frequently disrupted proceedings during his trial. He shouted abuse, called the process “a farce”, and had to be carried into the court after refusing to appear. In 2005, a court in Belgium issued a warrant for his arrest, claiming universal jurisdiction but, after Senegal referred the issue to the African Union, the AU asked Senegal to try Mr Habre “on behalf of Africa”
Habre refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the court and had to be physically dragged into the courtroom in July. After living in exile in Senegal for 22 years, Habre was arrested in Dakar in July 2013, less than 72 hours after US President Barack Obama expressed his support for a trial during a visit to Senegal.